Use God’s Word

Someone comes to you and says, “I believe in Jesus. I have been attending a Bible teaching church, involved in Bible studies, and I struggle with porn. I don’t want to look at it, but I keep sneaking glances, seeking out websites I know it is going to be present, watching movies that I know contain it. How do I break this cycle of sin?”

This person is dealing with sin biblically. Though they have been living in the sin of lust and adultery, they are confessing their sin and are seeking to flee from sin (at least verbally). The opportunity to help them is present, they have come to you, but how do you use God’s Word?

First, you should know at least one verse that deals with the issue. Here a familiarity with the Bible and a Bible program or concordance comes in handy. You don’t have to be Bible scholar, but you do need to be a student of the Bible.

Now, to answer the question “how do I break this cycle of sin?” Perhaps you remember the account of Joseph, when Potiphar’s wife sought to make him do things that were sinful, he fled. Or perhaps you remember David, when the time was when kings went to war, stayed in Jerusalem and watched a bathing woman. Or perhaps you remember Sampson, who hung out with Delilah, got drunk, got a haircut (all breaking the Nazarite vow he was bound to), and ended up with his eyes put out as a slave to the enemies of the Children of Israel. These stories all have in common men who were in compromising situations, one who fled from sin, and two who embraced sin.

You friend is not fleeing sin. It is not enough to say you don’t desire to sin, believers must flee sin. A simple word search will give you two verses directly applicable to memorize that call for fleeing sin (even sin dealing with sexual sin).

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

2 Timothy 2:22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Commit to commit these verses to memory together. Commit to practice fleeing from sin and instead pursuing “righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart.”

Practically, identify when your friend was most tempted to lust. Keep them accountable to think about how they could pursue righteousness rather than lust during these times. For example, let’s say it is around 9 pm, when they typically want to watch something before going to bed, and while searching your friend willingly looks for something that it inappropriate to watch. Work together to make a large list of appropriate material to watch so the choice is limited and the temptation removed. That way your friend doesn’t have to feel guilty about relaxing, but the temptation is mitigated. Practically, in doing so, you “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace” together.

An additional resource for those struggling with lust and pornography on the internet is Covenant Eyes.